Let’s Chat:: What To do When Things Get Overwhelming

Since announcing on my social media that I passed my PhD examination I have received countless and countless of direct messages, tweets and Instagram comments asking me what is next for me!

I am sure you are all familiar with that suffocating sensation you experience when things get overwhelming (maybe a bit too much!). I was anticipating for this time that I would be free to do anything I wish for almost 4 years now, and now that it is finally happening I have this sense of guilt and suffocating because people expect too much from me.

After loads of thinking and consideration I concluded that the problem is I got used to working on an unstoppable, restless mode and people have gotten used to expecting the best from me, which leads them to asking me all these questions because they expect me to have already figured out everything already! If all this sounds familiar to you, here’s what to do:

Get things off your list!

As much of a paradox as this may sound, taking things off your list will help you more than you think. Have a look at your list and prioritise. Is painting the room more of a priority than applying for this job?

The moment you minimise the volume of things you have to go through, you will instantly be able to breathe deeply and feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Just do only what is absolutely necessary to do and allow yourself to ‘relax’ without missing the feeling of achievement.

Break things down.

If painting the room is indeed one of your priorities then break the process down. For instance, make sure that you buy the brushes and colours today, then tomorrow buy the covers, and then the following days plan where to move the furniture and so on. Eventually, it might take you 5 days to paint this one room but by the end of the week you will tick a big thing off your list and have it done!

Schedule one thing at a time.

On most occasions, we panic and completely freeze when there is too much on our plate OR when there is nothing in it at all. So now that we have analysed what to do when you have an overwhelming list, let’s discuss about what to do when there is nothing on your list!

Some days, I panic and I can’t even breathe properly while I am eating. The reason behind it is because I currently live on a 0 km/h speed whereas I used to live on 120 km/h speed. After some online search and a visit to the local library I read that the solution is to schedule things, one at a time. By keeping yourself occupied you allow yourself to adapt from one (busy) situation to (much less busy) one.

Arrange to go for coffee with friends that you haven’t seen when you were busy, take up a new hobby, go on that trip that you have always dreamed. At the very least, this is the time to do things that you enjoy and love. So, do it!

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Anastasia

My name is Anastasia and I love taking pictures & telling stories about my life in Scotland, countryside adventures with my Jack Russell puppy and renovating our Victorian flat. Often found with an Olympus camera in hand touring around Aberdeen photographing. I hope you enjoy this space and stay for a while!